Golf Club Head Flexure for Off-Center Impact Energy Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional golf club heads face challenges in achieving a larger 'sweet zone' with uniform high initial ball speed due to variations in impact location on the club face, and they struggle to maximize the coefficient of restitution (COR) while maintaining structural integrity against repeated impacts.
Innovation Solution
The golf club head incorporates a flexure design with a sharktooth cross-sectional shape recessed into the sole, providing enhanced flexibility and vibration modes to improve energy transfer and reduce backspin, particularly for off-center impacts, by allowing the face to translate and rotate as a unit during impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the club face is made thinner to maximize coefficient of restitution (COR), then ball speed and distance are improved, but structural integrity and resistance to permanent deformation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by incorporating a flexure element that allows the club face to flex during impact. The flexure comprises a first portion and a second portion that can bend and deform elastically, enabling the thin face to return to its original position after impact without permanent deformation. This flexible mechanism allows the use of thinner face materials while maintaining structural integrity through controlled elastic deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and mechanical properties of the club face by introducing a flexure with specific geometric parameters (first portion and second portion). The flexure's dimensions and material properties are optimized to provide the desired balance between flexibility for energy return and strength for structural integrity. By adjusting the flexure's thickness, length, and material composition, the patent achieves optimal COR while preventing permanent deformation.
2Strength
If uniform face thickness is used to ensure structural integrity, then strength is improved, but ball speed uniformity across the face deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by creating non-uniform thickness distribution in the club face through the flexure design. The first portion and second portion of the flexure have different thicknesses and geometries, allowing different regions of the face to have optimized properties. This enables the face to provide both structural integrity in critical areas and enhanced ball speed in impact zones, creating a larger effective 'sweet spot' area on the club face.
3Use of energy by moving object
If face thickness is reduced to increase flexibility and energy return, then coefficient of restitution (COR) is improved, but resistance to permanent deformation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexure element with a first portion and second portion that are designed to flex elastically during impact. The flexure's geometry and material properties are selected to ensure that the deformation remains within the elastic range, allowing full energy return while preventing permanent deformation. The flexible structure absorbs impact energy through controlled bending and returns it to the ball, maintaining both high COR and structural reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The flexure design increases the coefficient of restitution (COR) and ball speed, particularly for impacts below the ideal location, resulting in greater distance and improved performance across a larger area of the club face without compromising structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
The flexure is defined by a first portion and a second portion that join at an apex to form a generally sharktooth cross-sectional shape... allowing the face to translate and rotate as a unit during impact... stored energy in the ball and in the club is transformed back into kinetic energy
Implementation Method 2
Since the collision is not perfectly elastic, a portion of energy is dissipated in club head vibration and in viscoelastic relaxation of the ball
Data Source
AI summary
A golf club head including a crown, a sole, a hosel, a face and a flexure. The flexure provides compliance during an impact between the golf club head and a golf ball, and is tuned to vibrate, immediately after impact, at a predetermined frequency.